How did Gu Yan know Xiao Leng's name?
Was it a coincidence? A fluke? An accident?
No, it shouldn't be any of those.
Gu Yan wasn’t the type to casually mention a stranger’s name.
In other words...
Leng Qingqiu’s heart sank.
Gu Yan... most likely learned the name from Xiao Leng herself.
If we consider the timeline,
the last time Xiao Leng emerged was when Gu Yan went to the Fifth Forbidden Zone.
So, did something happen then? Did Gu Yan realize that the person back then was Xiao Leng?
And did they actually talk?
This contradicts what was said before... Did something happen between them?
Could it be related to Gu Yan’s unusual behavior today?
Leng Qingqiu felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Xiao Leng was an extremely malevolent personality. If she had manipulated Gu Yan, it might lead him to act irrationally.
So, Leng Qingqiu asked Xiao Ling in her mind, "Xiao Leng, tell me the truth. What exactly did you do to Gu Yan in the Forbidden Zone?"
"How does Gu Yan know your name?"
After a moment of silence in her mind,
Xiao Leng slowly replied—
[Nothing happened.]
[As for why the furnace is acting so strangely, my other self, you might find out soon.]
Find out soon?
Leng Qingqiu frowned.
At that moment,
Leng Ling'er ran over. "Sis! The banquet is about to start, let’s go!"
Leng Qingqiu took a deep breath and temporarily set aside her doubts.
No, today was a crucial day for Gu Yan.
Whatever the matter was, it could wait until after today.
With that thought, Leng Qingqiu nodded gently with a softened expression. "Alright, let’s go, Ling'er."
......
.........
The third day’s annual gathering began as scheduled.
This year’s banquet venue was noticeably different from previous years.
First, the decorations were exceptionally eye-catching. The entrance was adorned with towering white Roman columns, as if leading into a classical palace.
Exquisite crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, warm glow that illuminated the entire space like daylight.
The floor was covered with a long red carpet, its edges trimmed with golden embroidery.
Each table was draped with pristine white tablecloths, set with delicate silverware and crystal glasses, while floral arrangements served as centerpieces.
The lighting inside was adjusted to be soft and layered, interweaving with the candlelight on the tables to create a romantic and mysterious atmosphere.
Live broadcast cameras were positioned at various angles.
Behind-the-scenes staff worked in an orderly manner to finalize the setup.
"Wow! This year’s banquet is so extravagantly decorated?"
"Why are there cameras? What’s going on?"
"Previous years weren’t like this."
"Ah, you don’t get it, do you? Today is Young Master Gu’s last chance to become the head of the Gu Family."
"Whether he succeeds or not, it’s only fitting to make it grand!"
"That makes sense, I suppose."
"Hey, in my opinion, Young Master Gu has changed so much—this year might actually be his chance to take the position!"
"Haha, no way. Gu Yunrou, Gu Yingying, Gu Zihua, and even Gu Linyi are all strong contenders for the family head position."
The guests couldn’t help but be stunned the moment they stepped into the banquet hall.
They whispered among themselves, some even pulling out their phones to capture the rare spectacle, preserving the beauty of the moment.
The women’s evening gowns shimmered under the lights, while the men did their best to exude gentlemanly charm.
Amid such meticulous arrangements, the guests’ faces were all lit with cheerful smiles.
Except for...
Gu Zihua, sitting in a corner of the banquet, gloomily sipping his drink as he watched the festivities with a sullen, powerless gaze.
"Damn it... Does he really think victory is guaranteed?"
Gu Zihua cursed under his breath. Previous years’ banquets had never been this flashy,
let alone with live broadcast setups.
This had to be Gu Yan’s doing—he must be confident about securing the votes this year.
Disgusting...
Gu Zihua sighed inwardly.
Whatever.
At this point, no amount of jealousy would change anything.
Come to think of it,
he had only wanted to become the family head to be with Xuehua.
But now that he had Alice,
maybe it wasn’t absolutely necessary.
Still, the thought of Gu Yan becoming the head was worse than death.
Sigh.
Gu Zihua shook off his thoughts.
He steeled himself, ready to witness the final moments of the banquet.
Just then,
"Young Master Zihua."
A familiar voice echoed beside him.
Gu Zihua stiffened slightly and turned his head.
There, sitting beside him, was Xuehua—but she seemed different from before.
The hair that had once covered half her face was now swept aside, revealing her full features.
To Gu Zihua’s surprise, the scars on the other half of her face were completely gone,
making her even more beautiful than before.
Gu Zihua froze. "Xuehua...?"
"Yes, it’s me."
After absorbing Gu Yan’s claw-like tendrils, the scars on Xuehua’s face had fully healed.
Her demeanor had become elegant yet alluring as she gazed at Gu Zihua. "Young Master Zihua, do you really... no longer love Xuehua?"
"........Do I even need to answer?"
"Very well. In that case, Xuehua won’t trouble you any further. But after the banquet ends, could you come to this place? I’d like to bid you a proper farewell."
Xuehua placed a slip of paper in front of Gu Zihua before leaving.
Gu Zihua picked it up—the address led to a pondside location within the Gu Family Manor.
"This is..."
His heart skipped a beat. This was the very spot where he and Xuehua had first met as children, where he had fallen in love with her.
"Young Master Zihua, is something wrong?"
Alice happened to walk over at that moment.
For some reason,
Gu Zihua pocketed the slip and feigned calm. "It’s nothing."
The guests continued to arrive.
Gu Yan and Leng Ling'er walked at the front.
Leng Qingqiu was escorted by Su Murong and Gu Yunrou as they chatted.
Leng Ling'er, however, was whispering conspiratorially to Gu Yan. "Brother-in-law, are you really going through with this?"
"Absolutely."
"Brother-in-law..."
"Hmm?"
"If you give me the car keys, I won’t tell Sister about the surprise... Oww! Okay, okay, I was joking!"
Gu Yan pinched Leng Ling'er’s blond hair, threatening in a low voice, "You little brat, if you spill it early, forget about ever getting your motorcycle."
Leng Ling'er pouted in frustration. "Ugh... you’re bullying me..."
Honestly, their whispers had already been overheard.
As the Night King,
even the softest murmurs were audible to Leng Qingqiu.
But still...
A surprise?
What surprise does Gu Yan have in store for her?
Leng Qingqiu suddenly felt inexplicably nervous for some reason.
Wasn't today the Gu Family's annual gathering?
What did it have to do with her?
n Our Village Many years later, Xiushui Village had transformed from a remote, impoverished hamlet into the renowned and flourishing Xiushui City of the Shifang Continent. All of this, solely because it was the birthplace of the Shifang Continent's number one sect—the Lingxian Sect. This is the story of a group of village youths, family, and friends, building a sect and growing together. Lin Xiao: As the sect master, my days are filled with countless tasks. Cultivating really gets in the way of building the sect. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Congratulations, Host, on successfully activating the Auto-Cultivation Function] Lin Xiao: Oh no, we're out of spirit stones. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Sect Mission issued. Mission Reward: Spirit Stones xN] No one loves their host more profoundly than this System!
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
